


What knot to do

by ramblingfangirl



Series: ZevWarden Week 2017 [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Back Pain, Day 1: Massage, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Grey Wardens, Kissing, Massage, Other, Relationship not serious yet, Self-care is important, Sex discussed but no actual sex, Undressing, Zevran being Zevran, Zevran/Warden Week, Zevran/Warden Week 2017, minor foul language, minor injury, start of a relationship, zevwarden week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-08 05:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11639859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblingfangirl/pseuds/ramblingfangirl
Summary: "My thought is this: we retire to your tent and I show you the sort of massage skills that one only learns growing up in an Antivan whorehouse"The implication of those words was very clear, but little did the Warden know when they'd accepted that offer, that there would end up being an actual massage involved in their night.





	What knot to do

Everything was going fine.

After days and days of trudging through dirt until their blisters has blisters, the prospect of joining a good friend, a _very_ _handsome_  good friend at that, in their tent for some fun had seemed like it would be a welcome break from all of that pain and monotony.

Something to get lost in.

The kissing had _definitely_ been nice, kissing which had then progressed to buckles unfastening which had then progressed to hands gripping and massaging into a bare back.

A very uncomfortable back filled with knots, but the Warden rationalised that they'd experienced much worse pain in the past, after all, this was nothing compared to the time they'd been flung against a rock by an ogre. 

So they decided to just try ignore it.

And then, almost the very moment that decision was made...

* _Crack_ *

_Shit!_

The Warden couldn't help but jerk as they tried and failed to hold back a wince at that, which was made all the more awkward by how their face was currently pressed up against someone else's.

A pause, neither party moving or speaking at all for a moment.

"It seems the situation is more dire than anticipated." Zevran spoke first, drawing back slightly as he did.

"It's nothing. We can continue, it's fine." The Warden tied to reassure, using the increased distance to try rub their back, in an attempt to alleviate the lingering pain as quickly as possible.

As such their argument was somewhat offset by the very fact that their tone, their expression and their actions did _not_ match their statement in the slightest.

"Ah, but we want you to enjoy yourself too, no?" The charming smile that slid onto his face at that was very clear to see, even in the dim lighting within the tent.

"No offence but...may, I try? I believe I did promise a massage." He gestures to their arm, still scouring their back like a maid would laundry. 

"And here I though that was an innuendo." The Warden replied with a snort of laughter and a brief grin.

"You wound me, my dear Warden! An assassin I may be, but I am also a man of my word!" 

"Knock yourself out then." The Warden's tone was clearly amused as they moved their arm, eyeing the assassin as he moved over to position himself behind them, debating whether his showing off as much of himself as possible while doing so was deliberate.

Actually, no, that was a stupid question. It was Zev, of course it was deliberate.

Not that they didn't exactly _appreciate_ the view, of course...

"Right, yes, here we go!" And then he got to work.

And no, the Warden was _not_  disappointed with _any_ of the techniques he'd picked up over the years.

The only part that came even close to unpleasant was the resulting... _sounds_.

"You're so tense! Surely it must hurt to walk, never mind engage in more _erotic_ endeavours. What did you do?" Again, it was Zev who broke the silence between them, that had before only been disturbed by the occasional sounds of their back.

The Warden glanced behind to have a look at him before replying, only to see him seemingly intently focused on his massage work, brows furrowed in concentration.

The sight was incredibly sweet. They could almost swear they felt something _flutter_ in their chest cavity upon seeing it. Just a little.

"Who knows? Could have been that genlock. Or having to walk around carrying all the luggage...Or that bear Morrigan sent flying into me. Serves me right for not looking behind." The Warden conceded, remembering hearing the yells of warning too late before the massive beast had struck them. The incident was _almost_ funny in hindsight, but at the time....no.

"Ah yes, I remember hearing of that. The magical temptress tried to blame Alistair, did she not?" Zevran had been back at the camp with most at the time of the great bear incident, only to be later greeted with the usual sound of Morrigan and Alistair bickering with each other and unusual sight of the Warden limping along with an arm slung around each of their shoulders. 

It seemed they had not yet recovered.

A snort came from the Warden, followed by a nod of their head. "Poor Alistair."

"Indeed! But he is not the one with a back more knotted than the net of a fisherman in Antiva. It is a good thing for you that I am a master at this!"

"Then I'll have to show you my gratitude when this is done. I believe I'll owe you a... _massage._ "

"Ah, as appealing as that sounds my grey warden, you owe me nothing. Only give what you wish to give."

And that, right there, was one of the increasing reasons why the Warden liked the assassin so much. 

"Alright then..." They flashed him a smile. "I _want_ to give you a _massage,_ when this is done."

"Well then, if that's the case, who am I to say no, hmm?" At last, Zev looked up from the back, if only briefly, to return the smile in full along with an arched eyebrow. "I can already hardly _bear_ the anticipation." 

The Warden playfully nudged him for that little pun there.

The rest of the night was indeed a long one, but it was also one certainly filled with a lot of...massages and  _massages_. 

And indeed, their back did actually feel a lot better after it.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to try give writing for Zevwarden week a go!
> 
> This takes place after the two go to the tent for the first time but before the cutscene takes place. 
> 
> It was written with my warden in mind, but I deliberately tried to keep it as neutral/up to interpretation as to who exactly the warden is as possible.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
